Charles Darwin
British naturalist who wrote The Origin of Species, which proposed the idea that all life on earth (including man) evolved by means of natural processes. He directly attacked the Bible.
Karl Marx
the "Father of Communism". He embraced the philosophies of Darwinism and socialism.
William Jennings Bryan
President Wilson's Secretary of State, he was known for his work in settling international disputes through arbitration.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
the forceful leader of Germany who flexed his muscle, expanded and demonstrated Germany's strength to the European nations.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand
heir to the Austrian throne, was shot along with his wife by a Serbian assassin. This was the catalyst that began WWI.
William Howard Taft
ex-President Taft was selected to head a new National War Labor Board. It's purpose was to be a court of arbitration, settling war-time labor disputes. Labor unions had agreed NOT to strike during the war.
Herbert Hoover
Headed the newly formed Food Administration, which encouraged American farmers to produce more food, average Americans to grow "Victory Gardens" in their yards and for everyone to conserve so food could be sent to the troops and to the suffering Europeans
Eugene Debs
an influential socialist leader who was arrested under the new Espionage Act of 1917.
John J. Pershing
General John J. Pershing ("Blackjack") was appointed commander of the American troops in France, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).
Eddie Rickenbacker
One of the most famous of the fighter pilots, who downed 22 enemy craft. Any pilot who downed at least 5 enemy craft were called "aces".
Vladimir Lenin
Leader of the Bolsheviks, a group of radical Communists, that came into power in Russia on November 1917.
Alvin C. York
Heroic Tennesse soldier who single-handedly killed 20 Germans and captured 132 more. This occurred during the famous Meuse-Argonne campaign in NE France.
higher criticism
First developed in Germany, it was a belief developed by some that the Bible was just a piece of literature that should be judged with the reasoning powers of men.
modernism
Also known as "religious liberalism", also originated in German universities. Theologians there began to exalt their own reason aabove God's Word, teaching that the Bible was a collection of myths, legends and a few historical facts.
evolution
The false philosophy popularized by Charles Darwin that proposes all life on the earth, including man, evolved or came into being by means of natural processes.
The Origin of Species
The book written by Charles Darwin that espoused the idea of evolution.
materialism
Also known as "naturalism" or "determinism", is the idea that matter is the only reality and that everything in the world, including thought, will and feeling, can be explained in terms of matter. It reduces man to a complex machine who personality is mer
Socialism, Communism
Socialism - all economic, political, and social life must be planned, controlled and regulated by the state to insure "the greatest good for the greatest number." All goods and services should be redistributed "from each according to his ability, to each
Triple Alliance, Triple Entente
Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Triple Entente - Great Britain, France and Russia.
Great War
World War I
Central Powers, Allies
Central Powers - Alliance during WWI of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey.
Allies - Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Japan, Portugal, Montenegro, Greece, Italy.
Italy was originally part of the Triple Alliance but remained
U-boat, unrestricted submarine warfare
U-boat - Germany's new weapon of war, the submarine, called an Untersee-boot in german. Unrestricted submarine warfare was the sinking of merchant ships without warning, with no attempt to get the civilians off the vessel first.
Lusitania
A large British luxury liner that was sunk by German U-boats in the British Isles area, which had been declared a war zone by Germany. Over 1000 persons died.
National Defense Act
Provided for an increase in the size of the regular army and the organizing of a national guard of 450,000 men, subject to be called into action by the President. $500 million in spending was authorized for naval vessels. A council was also set up to unif
Zimmermann note
German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann wrote a note to the German minister in Mexico proposing that they form an alliance if the U.S. entered the war. In return for their help to defeat the U.S. Mexico was to regain her lost territory in New Mexico, T
Selective Service Act
Requiring all men from age 21 through age 30 to register with local draft boards. 24 million men were registered for the draft.
Victory Loans, Liberty Loans
Liberty Loans - the first four drives of government issued bonds as low as $50 so average citizens could buy them to support the war effort. Victory Loans - the final drive to issue government bonds to help "finish the job".
War Industries Board
a goverment board to regulate all phases of industrial production and distribution of war materials, telling manufacturers what they would produce, in what quantities and to whom they would sell it.
National War Labor Board
a court of arbitration to settle labor disputes during the war, as the AFL labor unions had agreed not to strike during the war.
Food Administration
created to encourage American farmers to produce more food, average Americans to grow "Victory Gardens" in their yards and for everyone to conserve so food could be sent to the troops and to the suffering Europeans.
Espionage Act
provided stiff penalties to anyone furnishing info which would aid the enemy, obstruct recruiting or encourage insubordination in the armed forces. Later amended to include attempts to hinder the sale of Liberty Bonds, influence workers to slow down war p
air warfare, "aces
the use of planes in warfare, first debuted in World War I. Initally planes were used in scouting, later in dropping bombs and mounted with machine guns. "Aces" were the pilots who had downed at least 5 enemy craft.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Peace treaty between Russia and Germany, because Lenin wanted to concentrate on consolidating his Communist state.
Veterans Day
A day set aside to commemorate the ending of the war. It was originally called Armistice Day. Today we honor all men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services at any time.
Big Four
The four key, influential men that guided the Versailles Peace Conference once armistice had stopped the fighting of WWI - President Wilson, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of England, Premier Georges Clemenceau of France, and Prime Minister Vittorio Or
League of Nations
An international body established to maintain world peace and advise on any external aggression to political independence of all the members. The U.S. never joined the League, despite President Wilson's appeal to both the Senate and the American people di
Treaty of Versailles
The peace treaty that closed out World War I. Highlights: Germany lost territory, she was stripped of military might, portions of Germany were to be occupied by Allied troops for 15 years, reparation and admission of guilt was to lay solely with Germany.